1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns chemical thrusters. Most spacecraft are fitted with small chemical thrusters for attitude and orbit control.
2. Description of Related Art
Existing altitude control thrusters use either cold gas propellant which is simply released under pressure through a valve and a nozzle, or liquid propellant which is converted to hot gas either by a hypergolic reaction with another liquid propellant, or by the action of a catalyst. Both types of thrusters have disadvantages. The cold gas thruster is capable of producing small, highly accurate pulses but at low exhaust velocity, whilst the hot gas thruster produces high exhaust velocity but is incapable of producing extremely small, highly accurate single pulses.